HOOVER, Alabama - The situation Mississippi State reliever Jacob Lindgren inherited on Wednesday night was tough for even the best of pitchers, but it's just how he wanted it.

MSU lead South Carolina 2-0 in the SEC Tournament, but starter Trevor Fitts issued walks to the first two batters. Lindgren, a junior left-hander with a fastball in the mid-90s and a slider in the mid-80s (miles per hour), got the first out on a sacrifice bunt, but South Carolina's top two power hitters were looming with MSU leading just 3-0 and two runners in scoring position.

But Kyle Martin and Grayson Greiner both struck out, swinging and missing at hard breaking sliders from Lindgren.

"It's just not surprising because he's done it all year," MSU head coach John Cohen said. "When the game's in the balance, he knows it and he wants the ball."

It was par for the course for Lindgren, who retired all 12 batters he faced with six strikeouts. He picked up the win, improving to 6-1. In 25 relief appearances, Lindgren has 93 strikeouts in 51 innings. The total ERA is 0.88, but 0.49 against SEC teams.

"Jacob, he was impressive tonight," Cohen said Wednesday. "He's been impressive for a large portion of the year."

Lindgren, a 5-foot-11, 203-pound Biloxi native, was drafted in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball Draft in 2011, but elected to play at Mississippi State. He's projected to get picked much higher in this June's MLB Draft.

Lindgren is part of the Bench Mobb (Mississippi State notes that the second 'b' in Mobb is silent), a group that keeps the mood light. It was recognized plenty as the Bulldogs made their way to the College World Series final last year, losing to UCLA, but Lindgren is an even bigger presence on the mound than he is off it.

"As soon as I hit the mound, it's a light switch," Lindgren said. "I get really serious. I have to shut them down, do my job and play Mississippi State baseball."